Geemarc a British company, based in Hertfordshire have developed what is believed to be the loudest mobile phone on the market. The research and development behind the Geemarc CL8200 mobile phone was clearly focussed towards the needs of those suffering from a hearing loss, reduced eyesight or limited dexterity.
The Geemarc CL8200 is essentially a mobile phone designed for making a receiving calls and text messages, without the other bells and whistles commonly found on more complex devices. Geemarc researched that there was a gap in the market for this type of product, with a hint of added style. The Geemarc CL8200 has been on sale for a few months and has hit a homerun with those who are hard of hearing.
The CL8200 is fully Hearing aids compatible using an induction coil built into the handset. The user guide states that it has a Hearing Aid Compatibility rating of T4/M3.
There are essentially two ways of using the CL8200 with your hearing aid:
1. Directly from the telephone handset using ‘T’
2. Indirectly using an inductive earhook, which is readily available should you find unsatisfactory background noise a problem.
The main feature that sets the Geemarc CL8200 apart from the competition is the fact that it is understood to have the loudest ringer of any mobile phone. With a decibel reading for the ringer of up to +100db and a loud speaker volume of up to +23db, you can be sure you won’t miss a call again. For comparison a pneumatic drill posts around the same figures as the ringer, normal loud speakers are usually set to around 8 -10 decibels. It also features a vibrating alert for incoming calls.
Other key features include, a 4.3 cm display with orange back light with big easy to read text, a five number emergency storage facility to contact important people when you are in need automatically with the press of one button. As well as this it also offers 3 dedicated emergency call buttons for easy access. The phone comes with a 250 memory phone book capacity and also feature key-lock function.
The basic package includes:
• Geemarc CL8200 gsm mobile telephone handset
• Desktop charging pod
• Headset – Hands Free Operation
• Li-ion rechargeable battery
• User Guide
There are other useful accessories like a car phone charger and a protective leather case as well as ear hooks, so you can enjoy the CL8200 hands-free.
The phone costs £89.99, and comes with a pay-as-you-go SIM card, with £5 worth of credit. It is also compatible with any other SIM card.
The latest statistics have shown the number of people suffering from a hearing loss has risen to just short of 9 million. About 6.5 million of that figure are over the age of 60 and a significant percentage of younger people are now recognising the signs of this condition. Above the age of 60 approximately 70% have some form of slight hearing loss. Even more astonishing is the fact that in the region of 4 million people in the UK could benefit from wearing Hearing aids but haven’t taken any action.
